Physical games enhanced by augmented reality

ABSTRACT

Systems and techniques for enhancing the physical games with augmented reality is described. A system identifies a characteristic of a physical object that is located on a physical surface. The system obtains, based on the characteristic, information indicative of a rule set for the game and a state of the game based on the characteristic. A game engine is initialized based on the rule set and game state. The game engine generates a subsequent state for the game. The system renders, based on the subsequent state, an augmented reality display that incorporates the physical surface and physical object.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/728,679, filed Sep. 7, 2018, and of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/774,035, filed Nov. 30, 2018, the disclosuresof which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Computer games sometimes possess features or characteristics not foundin physical games, such as those played with tangible game boards andgame pieces. Computer games can excel at presenting the actions of agame from the viewpoint of an individual participant, can include any ofa variety of animations or audio effects, and so forth. Likewise,computer games do not require their participants to possess specializedgame boards or game pieces. More generally, the gameplay of computergames is not bound by the constraints of the physical world. Conversely,physical games therefore lack many of the features found in computergames.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various techniques will be described with reference to the drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example gaming system, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an embodiment of an augmented realityenhanced gameplay system, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of selective information sharing toenhance an adversarial game, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process forinitializing an AR-enhanced physical game, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for computingAR-assisted game states, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process forinitializing an AR-enhanced physical game, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process fordistributing information to game participants, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of an embodiment of an augmented realityenhanced gameplay system incorporating localization aspects, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 9 illustrates an example of an embodiment of an augmented realityenhanced gameplay system incorporating player level customization, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 10 illustrates further aspects of gameplay enhanced by player levelcustomization, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 11 illustrates an example process for enhancing physical gameplayby augmented reality localization and customization, in accordance withan embodiment; and

FIG. 12 illustrates an environment in which various embodiments can beimplemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Systems, devices, and techniques described herein relate to theenhancement of physical games using augmented-reality (“AR”) systems,devices and techniques. Moreover, at least some embodiments of thesystems, devices, and techniques described herein comprise a system ofservices that enhance the gameplay of physical games using augmentedreality. Physical games refers to games that comprise at least somephysical components, such as a real-world surface on which the game isplayed, a real-world object, and so forth. As described herein, gameplayrefers to the conduct of a game which has at least some physicalaspects. Examples include, but are not necessarily limited to, gamessuch as chess or checkers in which the players may not necessarilypossess all of the required physical components. Another example is arole-playing game in which the player's possess some, but not all, ofthe figurines needed to represent the game participants.

In an embodiment, a system of services, which may also be described asan augmented reality platform, interacts with an AR device to provideenhanced gameplay for physical games. In the example embodiment, aplayer places a physical object (such as a token) on a physical surface(such as a mat or tabletop). The AR device captures video data includingthe token and provides it to the system, which then recognizes thetoken. The system associates the token with a game, and generates anaugmented reality display that, on the AR device, incorporates thephysical surface and facilitates gameplay.

In a further aspect of the example embodiment, a component of the systemmaintains a combined state of the virtual and physical components of thegame. This component may be referred to as a game engine. The gameengine obtains inputs and movements from the players, updates the stateof the game, and presents an augmented reality view of the game that isconsistent with the updated game state. For example, a user maymanipulate “stand-in” objects on the physical surface to indicate movesin the game. These movements are observed by an AR device. The gameengine is provided, through the system, with information indicative ofthe movements. The game engine then updates the game state accordingly.Inputs might also be provided from other sources, such as other players,or in response to various events. The inputs to the game engine areprocessed and used, by the game engine, to update the game state. Thegame engine can therefore receive updates from both physical and virtualsources and update the game state accordingly. The updated state canthen be used to generate augmented reality displays for presentation tothe players.

In an example, an AR device user may place a token on a playing surface.A system, comprising or in communication with the AR device, recognizesthe identity of the token, associates the token with a game, and causesa version of the game, using the AR device, to be displayed so that itincorporates the playing surface. A component of the system, which maybe referred to as a game engine, maintains a combined state of thevirtual and physical components of the game. For example, some aspectsof the game might be represented by physical tokens on the playingsurface. Other aspects may be purely virtual. The game engine updatesthe combined state and presents it to the players. Each player'sexperience may be customized according to factors such as localizationreferences, skill level, experience, and perspective. For example, insome cases, the customization involves localizing the gameplay toreflect the player's language or culture. In other cases, thecustomization involves adjusting the gameplay to reflect variances inskill level. This can be applied, for example, to maintain an illusionthat each player is of approximately equal skill, while also permittingeach player to exert his or her best effort at playing the game. Thepersonalization may also involve facilitating a player's participationin an activity as a student, and likewise facilitating another player'sparticipation in the activity as a teacher.

The localization and personalization techniques may also be applied togames, such as billiards, that based on a relatively high degree ofphysical skill. For example, an augmented reality enhanced gameplaysystem, as described herein, may be used to provide skill-level basedenhancements to a game such as billiards by provide varying degrees ofinsight to a player. The degree of insight that is provided may be basedon skill, and might decline as that player's skill improves. Forexample, a system might provide insights on the expected effect of abilliards shot to a junior player, such that the line each ball isexpected to follows, and suggestions for improving the shot. For a moreexperienced player, the system might simply provide warnings when a shotis determined to have a high likelihood of failing. The system mightcontinuously assess the player's skill level (using insights generatedby a game engine service, based on statistics derived from observationsmade during turns of the game) to adjust the level of assistanceprovided. Similar techniques may be applied to other physicalactivities, such as exercising. For example, the system might providesuggestions for correcting form, or implement a scoring system thathelps individuals of varying degrees of fitness to engage in acompetition to determine who performed their personal best.

The localization and personalization techniques may also be applied tonon-game activities, including procedural activities or “goal seeking”activities. One example is cooking. For example, an AR device and ARsystem, as described herein, might provide various levels of assistanceto a user who is following a recipe. A novice chef might be providedwith more detailed instructions, supplementing whatever information isprovided in the new chef's recipe book. A more advanced chef might beprovided with less information, or be provided with suggestions forvarying the recipe. Localization might also be performed. For example,cooking units expressed in kilograms might be converted to pounds, orthe system might provide suggestions for substituting exotic ingredientsin the recipe with more readily available items.

In the preceding and following description, various techniques aredescribed. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations anddetails are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding ofpossible ways of implementing the techniques. However, it will also beapparent that the techniques described below may be practiced indifferent configurations without the specific details. Furthermore,well-known features may be omitted or simplified to avoid obscuring thetechniques being described.

Techniques described and suggested in the present disclosure improve thefield of augmented reality, especially as it applies to the enhancementof games played at least partially in the physical world.

In an embodiment, a system provides the ability for a user to play awide variety of games, while possessing a limited set of physicalcomponents. These physical components might be generalized or dedicatedgame pieces, or might even be everyday objects used in place of gamepieces. For example, the system might allow commonplace six-sided diceto be used as stand-ins for more complex type of dice, such astwenty-sided dice. The AR-enhanced dice might further include customfaces, such as symbols instead of the pips ordinarily found on six-sideddice. In another example, a coin might be used as a stand-in for a gamepiece such as a pawn or knight.

In an embodiment, a system provides the ability to present informationto players of a physical game in a selective fashion. The providedinformation may be based on game state such as character position, thecondition of the character within the game, and so forth. For example,each player may view the board differently based on their respectivecharacter's position on the game board, or based on where that characterhas explored. A system for enhancing physical games might, for example,selectively provide information to a player whose character is near oneposition on the board, but not provide the information to a player whosecharacter is not at that position.

In an embodiment, a system facilitates the selective exchange ofinformation between certain players, such as members of a team. Thesystem identifies team members based on the game state, identifies ARdevices capable of providing information to the corresponding users, andshares the information.

In an embodiment, a system provides enhanced gameplay by providingdynamic responses to changes in game state. For example, certain changesto the game state may trigger the presentation of a movie or music toselected players, based on events occurring in the physical game. Thismight occur, for example, upon a player victory or defeat, or to signalor enhance the mood of a new phase of gameplay.

In an embodiment, a system described herein provides the ability forgame history to be viewed by current or former players, or by thirdparties. This can include a “replay” capability which enables a user ofthe system to view a previously played game or turn. This may be done byrecording changes in the game state over time and regenerating thepreviously displayed augmented reality scenes. Elements of the scenethat were real-world when initially played may be replaced, in thereplay, with virtual elements. The replay may comprise video oraudiovisual data representative of the data, and may include or excludea depiction of the physical elements of the augmented reality gameplay.

In an embodiment, a system described herein provides the ability toincorporate expansion features into a physical game, without requiringthe player to possess any additional physical components. The system mayfurther help users acquire or manage licenses to expansion features. Asan example, certain games utilize card-based game mechanics. Thepurchase of an expansion set introduces a new set of cards. Here, theexpansion may be purchased and implemented digitally, rather thanrequiring the physical acquisition of a new set of cards. Stand-inobjects, such as blank cards, can be rendered in augmented reality ascards from an expansion set.

In an embodiment, a system described herein allows for players to createor provide house rules that are applicable only to their copy of thegame, or to support evolution of a game's rules over time. For example,changes to a game board may be applied by being rendered in theaugmented reality display, rather than being permanently imprinted onthe physical surface.

In an embodiment, a system described herein allows for players to takeactions in the game independently of their turn. For example, ratherthan wait for their turn in the physical game, the player may inputactions to be taken subsequently. This may have the effect of speedinggameplay.

In an embodiment, a system described herein facilitates the coordinationof activities between players. For example, players on a team may enterprospective moves, which can be displayed to other players on the sameteam. The player's actions may then be executed simultaneously, orin-turn. The system may also facilitate gameplay in which that playersare unaware of their teammate's intended plans, by facilitatingconcealed input of player intentions. Such interactions may be difficultor impractical when conventional physical games are played withoutincorporating aspects of the techniques described herein.

In an embodiment, a system described herein facilitates enforcing rulesor educating players concerning the rules of a game, or providinginsights into play. For example, the system may present AR-assistedtutorials or gameplay hints. These may be performed based in part on anindicated or perceived skill level of the participants.

In an embodiment, a system described herein provides for the state of aphysical game to be saved and restored, at a later time. The system mayfacilitate the setup or restoration of the state of a physical game. Thesystem may, for example, identify a game state known to the system'sgame engine, and compare that state to an observed state of a physicalsurface and physical objects placed on the surface. The system may thenpresent, in augmented reality, information that assists the players inmanipulating the objects or surface to comply with the game state.

In an embodiment, a system described herein allows for physicalcomponents to represent game types, or to represent extensions to agame. For example, a game vendor might provide a game surface, such as amat or game board, which represents the “basic” version of a game. Thesystem may observe the mat or board and facilitate gameplay using thebasic rules. However, additional objects, such as cards or tokens, mightbe used to present expansion features. For example, the game vendormight provide expansion cards which, when recognized by the system,cause the system to facilitate gameplay using an expanded version of therules.

In an embodiment, a system described herein uses household objects torepresent components of a game. For example, an AR-enhanced experiencemay permit the creation of a Rube Goldberg machine comprising ramps,trampolines, bumpers, and so forth, using everyday objects such asforks, spoons, cups, and so on. The system may provide consistentclassification of these objects, so that a fork consistently representsa ramp. A process of discovery may thereby be enabled, where a user maydiscover that a spoon always represents a ramp, a cup always representsa funnel, and so on. It will be appreciate that this example is intendedonly as an illustration, and that embodiments disclosed herein mayfacilitate a variety of gameplay types using various objects to act asstand-ins for various components of a game. As described herein, thesestand-in objects may be rendered in augmented reality as theircorresponding in-game components.

In an embodiment, a system described herein provides for assistedgameplay. For example, the system might provide facilities which allow aplayer (for example, a chess player) to explore alternate future statesof the game. The system may also, in some embodiments, provide for theassisted or automatic computation of scores, or the tracking orcomputation of other game states.

In an embodiment, a system described herein allows for “fog-of-war”features. This refers to information that is selectively provided to aplayer based on various game factors. For example, in certain games aplayer might be presented with current information related to an areathe player's character is able to observe, but not provide currentinformation related to areas the character cannot presently observe. Inan embodiment, available information is rendered in augmented reality,e.g. by superimposing the information on top of the game surface.

In an embodiment, a system described herein allows for the creation of“illusionary walls” or other game elements that are viewed differentlyby different players in the game. For example, a player who created anillusionary wall may bypass it, while a player not aware of the wall'sorigin sees and experiences the wall as if it were real. This maycontinue until it is determined, based on gameplay, that the player ismade aware of the wall's origin.

In an embodiment, a system described herein allows for the sharing ofphysical gameplay experiences with others, including remoteparticipants. For example, the system may record changes to the gamestate as it progresses, and render an all-virtual version of thegameplay to remote participants. Alternatively, the rendered augmentedreality video may be recorded and synchronized to the evolution of thegame state. In either case, replay of the game may be rewound orfast-forwarded to specific points in the game, as indicated by a givengame state.

In an embodiment, physical or virtual challenges are incorporated intothe physical gameplay. For example, the players might participate in aphysically conducted game of “rock-paper-scissors” to adjudicate agameplay result. Embodiments may also incorporate, into the physicalgameplay, virtual challenges which require varying levels of skill, suchas solving math problems, sliding puzzles, color or shape matching, andso forth. The challenge level can be set as a player handicap, aplayer-configured option, or to adjust the difficultly automatically forall players. The adjustment may, for example, be made by the game enginein accordance with the game rules, available expansions, andconfiguration information.

Certain techniques described herein may also be applicable to scenariosother than physical gameplay. For example, certain of the techniquesdescribed herein may be employed to enhance the experience of a sportingevent, or the reading of a physical book. In another example, everydayitems (such as glasses and liquids) may be used as a virtual chemistryset. In another example, a user experiences a puzzle game using simplephysical objects as a stand-in. In a further aspect, a physical objectis experienced in augmented reality as an object that evolves or changeover time or based on an inspection of the object.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example gaming system 100, in accordance with anembodiment. The example system 100 may, in various aspects andembodiments, incorporate some or all of the features described above, invarious combinations. In the example of FIG. 1, the system 100 comprisesAR devices 102 a,b which communicate, via a network 150, with variousservices, including an object and player recognition service 120, a gameengine service 122, and a rendering service 124. As used herein, aservice refers to distributed computing systems which provide computingfunctions to various client devices, such as the depicted AR devices 102a,b. Services may, for example, be implemented by a combination of webserver(s) 1206 and application servers 1208, as depicted in FIG. 12.

In an embodiment, the depicted system renders augmented reality gameplaywhich incorporates a physical surface. Incorporation of the physicalsurface, in various embodiments, refers to the generation of anaugmented reality display that involves the physical surface. Forexample, virtual reality elements may be generated and displayed on orabove the physical surface. Note that the use of the term “surface”should not be construed as being limited to two-dimensional surfaces.For example, a surface may have a complex three-dimensional geometry,possibly including a three-dimensional area in physical space. Forexample, a game surface might include a hill, boulder, or similarlandscape feature, and might include the air above the landscapefeature.

In at least one embodiment, the rendering of the augmented realitygameplay, incorporating the physical surface, is based on output of agame engine. As described in more detail below, a game engine service122 may maintain and periodically update, or output, a game state thatcan be used, directly or indirectly, by a rendering service 124.

In at least one embodiment, a rule set is used by a game engine. A ruleset may include information describing various aspects of the gameplay,in a format usable by the game engine to implement the game. This refersgenerally to information which allows the game engine to process gameinput, apply it to the current state of the game, and output a new statefor the game. The rule set may also comprise additional informationdescribing the various game elements, indicating how those elementsmight be used, how they might be rendered, and so forth. A rule set, inat least one embodiment, includes information indicating which aspectsof gameplay can be localized, and may further include informationindicating how such localization should be accomplished. For example,the rule set might contains data indicating which cards used in gameplayhave localizable text on them, and may also provide translations of thetext in various languages.

In an embodiment, a prospective change to the game state is identifiedbased at least in part on an observation of a physical object, such asone of the depicted stand-in objects 106, on a play surface, such as thedepicted play surface 104. The observation may be conducted based onvideo data of the play surface 104 collected by one or more of the ARdevices 102 a,b. The movement of the objects can be tracked, and aprospective change to the game state identified based on the trackedmovement. The movement can be indicative of a change to the game state,as might be the case when an object representing a game piece is movedfrom one location to another. Accordingly, the system may identifyprospective changes to the game state based on the tracked movement. Theprospective change can then be validated based on the rule set, and thenapplied to the game state.

One of the AR devices 102 a observes a play surface 104 on which afiducial marker 108 has been placed. Here, the fiducial marker 108refers to an object which includes a characteristic which can beidentified by the system and used to identify a game corresponding to orotherwise associated with the characteristic. In some cases, thecharacteristic may be the shape of the object. For example, a pawn orknight from a chess game can be associated with the game of chess. Inother cases, the characteristic might be an identifier, such as a barcode or other printed matter, which can be used by the system to look-upthe associated game.

In an embodiment, the AR device 102 a uses one or more of its sensors,such as its camera, to read a code imprinted on the fiducial marker 108.The AR device 102 a provides this information to the system services,such as the object recognition service 120 or game engine service 122.Using this information, the system 100 then identifies a game associatedwith the fiducial marker 108. For example, the fiducial marker 108 mightbe a card whose code corresponds to a game of chess. When a user laysdown the card onto the play surface 104, the AR device 102 a obtains thecode from the card, transmits it to one of the services 120, 122, andthe system thereby determines that a game of chess should be initiated.Other cards might be associated with other games, such as checkers,backgammon, poker, a particular board game, a role-playing game, and soon.

Once the game has been identified, the game engine service initializes avirtual game state associated with the physical game. The total gamestate is represented by a combination of physical state (e.g., theposition of physical objects on the play surface 104) and virtual state.In some cases, stand-in objects 106 are used to represent aspects of thephysical state of the game. For example, the stand-in objects 106 mightrepresent player characters in a role-playing game, or pawns in a gameof chess.

The game engine service 122 uses sensor input from the AR devices 102a,b as input for calculating a subsequent game state. For example, inputfrom the AR devices 102 a,b might be used to collect informationindicating what actions are taken by the players for each turn in thegame. This can include the manipulation of the stand-in objects 106 onthe game surface. Various other devices and modes of input may also beused, such as the selection of a menu item placement of tokens on thegame surface, voice commands, physical gestures, and so forth.

The game engine service 122 causes or assists the rendering service 124in generating aspects of the augmented reality display produced by theAR devices 102 a,b. For example, the rendering service 124 can rendergraphics for game objects such as chess pieces, figurines, dice, cards,and so on. These graphics can then be incorporated into what isdisplayed on the screens of the AR devices 102 a,b. More complexgraphics, such as a complete view of a chess board, a fully-renderedbattlefield, and so forth, may also be produced by the rendering service124.

The graphics produced by the rendering service 124 can be based on thecurrent game state. For example, the game state might represent theposition of characters on a battlefield, which can then be rendered, bythe rendering service 124, for each AR device. It will be appreciatedthat the scene required for each AR device may be different, due todifferences in each player's perspective.

In an embodiment, the rendering of the gameplay is be based in part onan object tracking mechanism. This may include, in some cases,continuous object tracking performed independently of game turns. Forexample, one of the stand-in objects 106 might be a simple token in thephysical world, but rendered in AR as a complex and detailed figurine.The system 100 may continuously track the position of this token as itis moved about the board, so that it remains depicted in AR as afigurine, rather than as a simple token. This may be accomplished by thedepicted object and player recognition service 120.

The system 100 may provide various other features to facilitate andenhance gameplay. These may include, for example, providing enforcementor guidance regarding rules, providing supplementary information toplayers, allowing information to be shared with players on the sameteam, but not other players, calculating game scores, rolling virtualdice, and so on.

In some cases, the play surface 104 is a mat, cloth, or other similartwo-dimensional surface. The play surface 104 may in some instances berelatively plain or feature-less, in order to minimize interference withthe rendering of augmented reality assets within the scene. The playsurface 104 may in some instances have patterns, colors, or otherfeatures imprinted on it, in order to assist with sensor calibration andobject rendering.

In some cases, the play surface 104 is a three-dimensional structure,such as a board or table on which additional elements have been placed.For example, blocks, bricks, columns, or other objects may be treated bythe system as part of the play surface. As discussed in more detailherein, various services, such as an object and player recognitionservice 120, may distinguish between an object intended to be a portionof the play surface 104, an object intended to be a fiducial marker 108,and an object intended to be a stand-in object 106. Objects may,however, be utilized for more than one such purpose.

In some cases, the play surface 104 corresponds to some or all of thegame that is to be played. For example, a physical chessboard might beused to play an AR-enhanced game of chess. Similarly, an AR-enhancedwargame might be played with a mat on which hexagonal markings have beenimprinted. However, the experience of playing these games may beenhanced in AR by the integration of additional elements. For example,terrain features rendered in AR might be projected onto the mat toenhance the wargame, and the physical chessboard might be rendered in ARto seem to be much larger in AR than it actually is in physical terms.

In some cases, a fiducial marker 108 is an object, such as a card ortoken, on which information is imprinted. For example, a fiducial marker108 may be a card on which a quick response (“QR”) code is imprinted. Inother cases, the fiducial marker 108 may be an object containing aradio-frequency identifier (“RFID”) or other mechanisms with which adevice, such as an AR device 102, may obtain information from. Thefiducial marker 108 may have various additional properties used by thesystem 100 to facilitate the provision of AR services to enhancegameplay. For example, in some cases a fiducial marker 108 may have aunique code which can be mapped to an account or owner. In anembodiment, this information is used to identify both the game to beplayed as well as additional information, such as saved games, playerpreferences, and so forth.

The fiducial marker may also be used to facilitate the generation of theaugmented reality display. In an embodiment, the fiducial marker 108 isof a known size, which facilitates the determination of scaleinformation for other objects observable through an AR device. Forexample, the system 100 can use the known size of an observed fiducialmarker 108 to determine the size of the play surface 104, when both arecaptured by an AR device or camera. For example, in some cases afiducial marker 108 may include visual patterns or colors that can beobserved by the camera of an AR device 102 a,b and used to performcalibration of the camera. For example, a white balance correction mightbe performed based on a pattern observed on a fiducial marker 108.

The stand-in objects 106 may be used in gameplay. These may correspondto game pieces, game hazards, walls, barriers, and so forth. Thestand-in object may also have properties used by the system 100 tofacilitate the provision of AR services to enhance gameplay.

For example, in some instances, a stand-in object may have a uniqueidentifier which allows it to be mapped to a specific game object. Forexample, a pack of cards might be provided as stand-in objects, and eachcard might have a unique identifier on it. The identifiers might beglobally unique (e.g., a randomly generated string of alphanumericcharacters that is sufficiently long to practically eliminate the chanceof collision) or locally unique. For example, the cards in a simple packof playing cards might each be considered to have a unique identifier.In an AR-assisted game, a jack of clubs might correspond to a tank, aten of diamonds might correspond to an infantry unit, and so on.

Similarly, a stand-in object may have visual characteristics that can beused to facilitate its use in AR-enhanced gameplay. For example, chesspieces might be used as stand-in objects. A pawn might represent an armyprivate, a knight a lieutenant, and so on.

For example, in some instances, a stand-in object might directlycorrespond to its role in the game. For example, in a chess game a rookmay still correspond to a rook in an AR-enhanced game, but can stilldescribed as a stand-in object. Note that in this case, the visualcharacteristics of the object (in this example, a rook) allow the systemto identify it as a rook.

As suggested above, the system 100 may employ a federation of servicesto provide AR-enhanced gameplay. These may include an object and playerrecognition service 120, a game engine service 122, a rendering service124, and a variety of additional services 126-136.

An object and player recognition service 120 provides functionalityrelated to classifying and identifying objects and people.Classification refers to determine what class of objects an observedobject belongs to. For example, classification might include determinewhether an observed object is a person or thing, is a fork, a knife, ora spoon, and so on. With respect to objects, identification refers todetermining the particular identity of an object. For example,identifying a person may involve determining the name of an observedperson, and identifying a stand-in object may involve determine whichparticular stand-in object has been observed. Identification may be doneon a global basis or a local basis. For example, a person might beidentified globally by determining that person's name and address, orlocally by determining that the person is identified as “Player One.”

A game engine service 122 provides functionality related to managing andupdating game state. As already indicated, game state typically involvesa combination of physical and virtual game state. The game engineservice 122 maintains a record of this combined state. The game engineservice 122 also receives input for each turn of the game (although inAR-assisted gameplay, the concept of turn may sometimes be loosened morethan is typically possible in conventional, physical gameplay), andcalculates a subsequent game state. Where necessary, the game engineservice 122 may also assist in updating the physical game state. Forexample, the game engine service 122 may send instructions, to bedisplayed via the AR devices 102, to move certain pieces or to removeother pieces from the play surface 104.

A rendering service 124 provides graphical rendering capabilities, asneeded to produce visual elements of the AR scene displayed by the ARdevices 102 a,b. This may include rendering of individual objects,partial scenes, or full scenes. In various cases and embodiments,graphics rendered by the rendering service 124 are integrated intovisual data captured by the AR device, in order to produce the final,integrated, AR scene. The rendering service 124 may perform theintegration in some cases and embodiments, while in others theintegration is performed by the AR device 102. The amount of renderingperformed by the service 124 may depend, in some cases and embodiments,on the computing capabilities of the AR device 102.

A game state service 126 may provide for storage and retrieval of gamestate information. In an embodiment, the game state service 126 storagesand retrieves game state information based on a composite index of theidentity of the player, identity of the game, and a time or turnindicator. This allows retrieval of the current game state or storage ofa subsequent game state, as well as the retrieval of a history of gamesstates. The latter may be used, for example, to enable rewinding thegame state to an earlier time, or to enable a reply of the game state.In an embodiment, the game engine service 122 provides the game stateinformation to the game state service 126 for storage. When a game isrestored, the information is loaded by the game state service 126 andused to initialize the game state for use by the game engine service122.

A rules library 128 provides for the storage and retrieval of rules forthe various games. In this context, the term “rules” refers to theinformation needed by the game engine service to facilitate gameplay.For example, the rules can comprise scripts that can be leveraged by thegame engine to calculate a subsequent game state based on a current gamestate, parameters for describing permissible movement of game pieces,and so forth.

An information management and sharing service 130 provides fordistributing information to the game players (and potentially to others)in a controlled manner. For example, each player in the game may beassigned to a team. The information management and sharing service 130can be used, for example, to provide information to the AR devices 102a,b of the players on one team, but not to players on the other teams.The information management and sharing service may store and retrieveinformation based on composite indexes such as game, player, and teamnumber. In some instances, further restrictions are applied, such asbased on an “information zone” that the player is in. These techniquesmay be employed to enforce “fog of war” features, for example. Invarious embodiments, the game engine service 122 interacts with theinformation sharing and management service 130 to provide thesefeatures.

A game asset library 132 provides the digital assets needed to render agame. These assets may include wireframes, textures, bitmaps, audiofiles, and so forth. These may be stored and retrieved, e.g., by theasset library 132 at the request of the rendering service, based on thegame being played. The game asset library 132 may also provide storageand retrieval services for assets needed for expansions orcustomizations of the game. For example, data for player-specific“skins” might be stored by the service. The game asset library 132 mayemploy various optimizations in order to provide the rendering service124 with the assets its needs to render graphics efficiently, e.g. byemploying techniques designed to minimize load times, etc.

A personalization service 134 provides data or other assets forpersonalizing gameplay. As described herein, personalizing gameplaycomprises adjusting gameplay to account for factors such as player skilllevel, player preferences, house rules, and adjustments to localize thegame to another culture, geographic region, or language.

In an embodiment, the personalization service 134 acquires data andperforms computations for determining player skill level. For example,the personalization service 134 may monitor a player's participation orperformance in a particular game, and make an assessment of thatplayer's skill. The assessment may be made using any of a variety ofmachine learning techniques, by statistical methods, or by othermethods. This assessment can then be used by the system as a basis ofproviding assistance to the player. The assistance can be providedthrough a variety of means, such as through hints, through theadditional of game elements (such as extra game units), and so forth.

In an embodiment, the personalization service 134 stores and retrievesrules data. The personalization service, in the embodiment, provides thegame engine service 122 with rule data, or other assets, that areapplied by the game engine service 122 to adjust gameplay according tothe intended level of personalization. This can include personal rulesor house rules. These allow for the game experience to be customized forsome or all of the players. The game engine can track these variationsand apply them to the actions taken by the players. For example, thegame engine may determine not to enforce an advanced rule against abeginning player, or may subject certain players to game mechanicsbetter suited to those with more advanced skills. Applying the rules, inthis context, can comprise identifying a potential player action,examining the action with respect to a set of rules deemed applicable tothe player, and then permitting, altering, or refusing the player actionin accordance with those rules. The game engine can then update the gamestate as appropriate.

A localization service 136 provides data or other assets for localizinggameplay. As described herein, localizing gameplay comprises adaptinggameplay, including in some cases visual or audio aspects of gameplay,to account for an individual player's location, culture, or language.The localization service may provide capabilities for associatinglocalization preferences with particular user. The localization service136, in various embodiments, stores and retrieves assets related tolocalization, such as textual data in various languages, graphicalelements, instructions for adjusting gameplay, and so forth. Forexample, physical cards containing textual portions printed in Englishmight be rendered in augmented reality using French, Spanish, or someother language.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an embodiment of an AR-enhancedgameplay system 200. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the system 200 cancomprise a play surface 204, stand-in objects 206, and a fiducial marker208. These may correspond to the play surface 104, stand-in objects 106,and fiducial marker 108 depicted by FIG. 1. The system 200 may furthercomprise one or more projector(s) 210 and camera(s) 212.

In an embodiment of the depicted system 200, the camera(s) 212 aremounted or positioned within a room so that they are able to observe theplay surface 204 and any objects placed thereon. The camera(s) 212 maybe a device comprising optical sensors to capture images of the playsurface. The camera sensors may operate in the visible wavelengths,infrared wavelength, or other wavelengths. Examples of a camera includededicated optical devices such as cameras or webcams, or multi-purposedevices such as smartphones, tablets, and so on.

The projector(s) 210 are devices that convert input signals to visualoutput. In an embodiment, the projection is two-dimensional. Theprojector(s) 210 project a two-dimensional projection onto theplay-surface 204. By calibrating the dimensions of the play surface 204and stand-in objects 206 using the fiducial marker 208, the system 200is able to align the projection onto the stand-in objects 206 andplay-surface 204. This is due at least in part to the ability tocalibrate the projection using per-determined characteristics of thefiducial marker 208.

The projected image may therefore transform blank surfaces on thestand-in objects 206 and play-surface 204. For example, an image mightbe projected onto a blank token to transform it into a character in thegame. Likewise, terrain features might be projected onto the playsurface 204.

In an embodiment, a plurality of two-dimensional projections are used,based on a plurality of projector(s) 210 positioned at strategic angles.This allows projections onto three-dimensional surfaces.

In an embodiment, the projector(s) 210 are three-dimensional orholographic projectors.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example 300 of selective information sharing toenhance an adversarial game. In the example 300, an AR-Enhanced GameBoard 304 is generated using the systems depicted in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2.The game board is observed by the AR devices 302 a,b. Each AR device 302a,b generates an augmented reality scene comprising the AR-Enhanced GameBoard 304. In addition, each AR device 302 a,b displays additionalinformation to its user. For example, consider that the user of a firstAR device 302 a might be “Player One” in a game, and might be on “TeamOne” in the game. Similarly, the user of a second AR device 302 b mightbe “Player Two” in the game, and a member of “Team Two.”

The displays generated by the AR devices 302 a,b might also be based inpart on knowledge possessed by the player utilizing the device. Thisknowledge may include, for example, information indicating the status ofan ally, information about the area in which a player is currentlylocated, an estimate of an opponents status (e.g., an estimate of theamount of “hit points” an opponent has remaining), and so forth.

More generally, the augmented reality scene displayed to the user can beadjusted in accordance with that player's “zone of knowledge.” In atleast one embodiment, secret information is organized as zones ofinformation. One zone might correspond, for example, to informationavailable only to a particular player. Another zone might correspond toinformation available only to a team. Another zone might be availableonly to players in a particular region of the game.

In embodiments, the augmented reality scene generated for each player'sis adjusted in accordance with these zones. In an embodiment, by thegame engine determine what constitutes each player's zone of knowledgeand providing, to the augmented reality rendering components, theinformation to be rendered for a particular player.

The display generated by the first AR device 302 a might display sharedinformation 310, which is also generated by the second AR device 302 b.In addition, the first AR device 302 a might generate a display ofsecret information 306 a that is only presented to “Player One.”Likewise, the first AR device 302 a might generate a display of secretinformation 308 a that is only presented to members of “Team One.” Thesecond AR device 302 b may likewise display player-specific secretinformation 306 b and team-specific secret information 308 b to “PlayerTwo.”

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process 400 forinitializing an AR-enhanced physical game, in accordance with variousembodiments. Some or all of the process 400 (or any other processesdescribed, or variations and/or combinations of those processes) may beperformed under the control of one or more computer systems configuredwith executable instructions and/or other data, and may be implementedas executable instructions executing collectively on one or moreprocessors. The executable instructions and/or other data may be storedon a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a computerprogram persistently stored on magnetic, optical, or flash media).

For example, some or all of process 400 may be performed by any suitablesystem, such as a server in a data center, by various components of theenvironment 1200 described in conjunction with FIG. 12, such as the oneor more web servers 1206 or the one or more application servers 1208, bymultiple computing devices in a distributed system of a computingresource service provider, or by any electronic client device such asthe electronic client device 1202. In various instances, the servicesdepicted in FIG. 1 operate on the web servers 1206 and applicationservers 1208 depicted in FIG. 12.

The process 400 includes a series of operations wherein an AR-enhancedgame is initialized based on the observation of a fiducial marker.

At 402, a fiducial marker is observed by an AR device. This may be doneusing the techniques described with respect to FIG. 1.

At 404, environmental sensors are calibrated based on the knownproperties of the fiducial marker. This may be done using the techniquesdescribed herein, including with respect to FIG. 1.

At 406, the game is identified based on the fiducial marker inaccordance with the techniques described herein, including with respectto FIG. 1.

At 408, the play surface is identified. This may comprise identifyingthe area of physical space in or on which the game will be played. Insome instances, a mat or game board is utilized. Other potentialsurfaces include a dining-room table, desk, or floor. The identificationof the play surface may comprise identification of its dimensions, whichmay be informed by the sensors calibrated using the fiducial marker. Forexample, the size of the fiducial marker may be compared to the size ofan observed table, in order to determine how big the table is.

At 410, stand-in objects are identified. Identification of a stand-inobject may include identifying a category or identity of the object inorder to correlate this information to the role the stand-in object willserve in the game. In an embodiment, a visual hash is calculated toserve as a unique identifier of the object and to allow it to be trackedas it is moved around the game surface. This approach may be combined,in some embodiments, with other tracking techniques in order to improvecontinuity of identification.

At 412, the game state is initialized. This step may comprise a numberof sub-operations. For example, the game state may be initialized byidentifying the players, determining license rights associated with theplayers (e.g., expansions owns by the players), retrieving rules for theidentified game, loading expansions, allocating a game engine,retrieving any saved state information, and initializing the game enginebased on the rules and saved state. The initialization process mayfurther comprise loading graphical and audio assets from a game assetlibrary, for use by a rendering service. These assets may comprisebitmaps, audio files, and so forth.

At 414, the game is rendered in its initial state. This may, forexample, involve a rendering service working in conjunctions with the ARdevices to generate augmented-reality scenes in which the stand-inobjects and play surface have been replaced by their augmented-realitycounterparts. Virtual-only elements can also be included in the scene.In an embodiment, video frames for the scene are rendered by a renderingservice, such as the rendering service 124 depicted in FIG. 1, andtransmitted to an AR device for display to a user.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process 500 forcomputing AR-assisted game states, in accordance with variousembodiments. Some or all of the process 500 (or any other processesdescribed, or variations and/or combinations of those processes) may beperformed under the control of one or more computer systems configuredwith executable instructions and/or other data, and may be implementedas executable instructions executing collectively on one or moreprocessors. The executable instructions and/or other data may be storedon a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a computerprogram persistently stored on magnetic, optical, or flash media).

For example, some or all of process 500 may be performed by any suitablesystem, such as a server in a data center, by various components of theenvironment 1200 described in conjunction with FIG. 12, such as the oneor more web servers 1206 or the one or more application servers 1208, bymultiple computing devices in a distributed system of a computingresource service provider, or by any electronic client device such asthe electronic client device 1202. In various instances, the servicesdepicted in FIG. 1 operate on the web servers 1206 and applicationservers 1208 depicted in FIG. 12.

The process 500 includes a series of operations wherein a game enginecalculates game states to facilitate AR-enhanced physical gameplay. Asdescribed herein, a process for facilitating AR-enhanced physicalgameplay may comprise operations for obtaining player input, updating agame state in accordance with the player input, game rules, and otherfactors, and rendering an augmented reality scene consistent with theupdated game state.

At 502, the game engine receives inputs based on physical changes to thegame state. For example, stand-in objects may have been moved or addedto the playing surface. Examples of such actions include moving astand-in object representing a chess piece, adding a figuring torepresent a new foe, and so forth. Note, however, that the forms ofinput are not necessarily limited to the manipulation, addition, orremoval of stand-in objects. For example, other physical changes such asa change in lighting condition, music, physical gestures, and so forthcan all be forms of input. The passage of time might also be treated asa physical change to the game state, and used as a form of input.

At 504, the game engine identifies other forms of input, such as inputreceived via player gestures detected by the AR device, vocal commandsdetected by the AR device, menu selections, and so forth. Inputs mightalso be based on messages received from any of a variety of sources,such as other games.

At 506, changes to the virtual game state are computed based on theinputs, as are intended changes to the physical state. The virtualchanges can include calculating game effects, calculating the positionsof objects that exist only virtually, and so forth. The intended changesto the physical state includes changes to the physical state that shouldbe performed in order to make the overall state of the game consistent.For example, it may be determined that an enemy unit has been destroyed.If that unit is represented in the game by a physical token, e.g., astand-in object, that token should be removed from the board.

At 508, the game is rendered based on the newly calculated state, anddisplayed on the AR devices. The rendering may be performed using thetechniques described herein, including those described with respect toFIG. 1.

At 510, the game engine interfaces with other components of the systemto assist any needed changes to the physical state. For example, thegame engine might generate a set of instructions that are to bedisplayed to the users, via their respective AR devices. The game enginemay also facilitate verification of the physical changes, to ensure thatthe physical environment has been modified to match whateverrequirements are imposed on it by the changes to the virtual game state.

At 512, the game engine proceeds to the next cycle. In an embodiment,the game state is recorded during each cycle, or during selected cycles,in order to facilitate a subsequent replay of the game or a subsequentrestoration of the game. In an embodiment, the game state istransmitted, for each or selected cycles, to another device or computingsystem, to facilitate remote viewing of the gameplay.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process 600 forinitializing an AR-enhanced physical game, in accordance with variousembodiments. Some or all of the process 600 (or any other processesdescribed, or variations and/or combinations of those processes) may beperformed under the control of one or more computer systems configuredwith executable instructions and/or other data, and may be implementedas executable instructions executing collectively on one or moreprocessors. The executable instructions and/or other data may be storedon a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a computerprogram persistently stored on magnetic, optical, or flash media).

For example, some or all of process 600 may be performed by any suitablesystem, such as a server in a data center, by various components of theenvironment 1200 described in conjunction with FIG. 12, such as the oneor more web servers 1206 or the one or more application servers 1208, bymultiple computing devices in a distributed system of a computingresource service provider, or by any electronic client device such asthe electronic client device 1202. In various instances, the servicesdepicted in FIG. 1 operate on the web servers 1206 and applicationservers 1208 depicted in FIG. 12.

The process 600 includes a series of operations wherein a game is set upor restored to a desired state, so that game play can commence or becontinued.

At 602, the system identifies the game based on a fiducial object ormarker place on a playing surface. This may be accomplished using thetechniques described herein, including those techniques described inrelation to FIG. 1.

At 604, the system identifies the players. This may be accomplishedusing the techniques described herein, including those techniquesdescribed in relation to FIG. 1. The subsequent retrieval of a gamestate may be based on this identification, such that games in which aplayer owns or was involved in can be made available and selected by theplayer for restoration.

At 606, the system retrieves the rules of the game, as well as the rulesof any associated expansions or extensions to the game. Note that here,the term rules refers to data and instructions usable by a game engineto facilitate the enhanced gameplay, rather than the traditionaltext-based rules that might be provided to a player.

Various licensing requirements may be considered to determine if anexpansion or extension should be retrieved and applied to gameplay. Forexample, a game might require that at least one participating playerhave purchased a license to an extension. In another example, a playermay have established various “house rules” that should be applied to thegame, but only when that particular player is involved.

At 608, the system retrieves state information associated with the gameand the identified player(s). For example, the game might have beenpreviously saved, and its players may wish to resume gameplay from thesave point. A unique ability of AR-assisted gameplay is the facilitationof “save points” for a physical game. For example, in an embodiment, thesystem retrieves a previously stored game state, provides informationand hints for restoring the physical game to that state, and facilitatessubsequent gameplay. Virtual components of the game can be automaticallyrestored.

At 610, the virtual game state is either initialized or restored basedon a save point. This may comprise retrieving the relevant game dataassociated with the save point, allocating a game engine, andinitializing the game engine in accordance with the state.

At 612, the system assists in the initialization or restoration of thephysical game state. For example, if a game of chess is commencing, thesystem might help the players by ensuring that the various pieces areproperly placed in their starting positions, or in the positionsassociated with the save point.

The system can also assist in the restoration of a prior physical gamestate by providing information in augmented reality regarding wherepieces should be placed. For example, the system might display augmentedreality markers at various points on the play surface, in order toindicate where a token should be placed, and what type of token isrequired.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process 700 fordistributing information to game participants, in accordance withvarious embodiments. Some or all of the process 700 (or any otherprocesses described, or variations and/or combinations of thoseprocesses) may be performed under the control of one or more computersystems configured with executable instructions and/or other data, andmay be implemented as executable instructions executing collectively onone or more processors. The executable instructions and/or other datamay be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium(e.g., a computer program persistently stored on magnetic, optical, orflash media).

For example, some or all of process 700 may be performed by any suitablesystem, such as a server in a data center, by various components of theenvironment 1200 described in conjunction with FIG. 12, such as the oneor more web servers 1206 or the one or more application servers 1208, bymultiple computing devices in a distributed system of a computingresource service provider, or by any electronic client device such asthe electronic client device 1202. In various instances, the servicesdepicted in FIG. 1 operate on the web servers 1206 and applicationservers 1208 depicted in FIG. 12.

The process 700 includes a series of operations wherein information iscompartmentalized and distributed according to game criteria.

At 702, the system identifies the game being played and retrieves rulesfor the game. The game rules may include various elements related to thecompartmentalization of information to be distributed in the game.Examples include rules to indicate how fog-of-war is handled, howinformation is shared between team members, and so forth.

At 704, the system identifies the players of the game, as well as anyteams and the associations between the players and the teams. The systemmay further track correspondence between the players and objects on thephysical game surface, so that the system may determine which tokens arecontrolled by which player.

At 706, the system identifies information zones based on the rules. Aninformation zone refers to a type or category of information, as definedby the gameplay rules and gameplay state. The information made availableto a particular player might be described as the intersection of therules and state. For example, in a roleplaying game, there might be aninformation zone associated with a character's position. The area mightbe affected by various rules and game states, such as whether or not thecharacter has a torch or flashlight. The position of a monster might beincluded in an information zone if it would be visible under these gameconditions, but excluded otherwise.

Another example of an information zone is one based on team membership.For example, an information zone might be based on team membership, sothat all of the members of “Team One” are included in the sameinformation zone, but players not on “Team One” are excluded.

At 708, players are assigned to information zones based on theaforementioned criteria. Note that this may be an ongoing process, sincemembership in an information zone can change based on changes to thegame state. For example, the game engine might determine that acharacter's position has change (e.g., by observing movement of acorresponding stand-in object), and thereby determine to include orexclude that character from an information zone.

At 710, game information is distributed based on membership in theinformation zones. In an embodiment, the game engine causes therendering component to include the information in the augmented realitydisplay of the appropriate users, or trigger some other means ofproviding the information. For example, the game engine might cause afirst player's device to emit “mood” audio associated with a particularlocation, or cause another user's heads-up display to be updated toinclude messages from that player's teammates.

At 712, the system facilitates game input based on membership in aninformation zone. Alternatively, the system facilitates based on teammembership alone, or in combination with information zone. For example,player's whose characters are within the same zone and who are on thesame team might be permitted to coordinate their actions for the nextturn. Similarly, opponents who are in the same zone might receive hintsas to the opposing team's actions, when characters on the opposing teamare communicating within the opponent's range of hearing.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of an embodiment of an augmented realityenhanced gameplay system incorporating localization aspects, inaccordance with an embodiment. In the example 800 of FIG. 8, a playsurface 806 is observed by two players “A” 850 and “B” 852, operatingrespective AR Devices “A” and “B” 802, 804. The AR Device “A” 802 maygenerate a view of the play surface 806 from a player A's perspective812, and the AR Device “B” 804 may generate a view of the play surface806 from player B's perspective 814. As For the purposes of the example,player “A” may be assumed to be associated with a first set oflocalization settings 820, and player “B” may be assumed to beassociated with a second set of localization settings 822. The example800 of FIG. 8 describes aspects of embodiments that localize gameelements in accordance with each player's localization preferences.Examples of localizing game elements include adapting instructions to aplayer's language requirements, adjusting currency values to adenomination a player is familiar with, and so forth.

In an embodiment, localization settings 820, 822 refer to dataindicative of the language preferences of the respective player. Forexample, the play surface 806 as rendered by AR Device A 802 might berendered such that locations or objects 810 on the board are renderedwith labels in the French language, whereas the same locations orobjects 810 on play surface 806 might be rendered by AR Device B 804using English language labels.

In an embodiment, localization settings 820, 822 refer tolocalization-related gameplay adaptations of the respective player. Forexample, in a board game where the players exchange a pretend currency,the currency for player “A” might be rendered and treated in the game asFrench francs, whereas the currency for player “B” might be rendered andtreated in the game as U.S. dollars. In some cases, the gameplay mightbe further adapted based on these differences, such as by incorporatingan “exchange rate” between the different currency types. The renderingof gameplay in accordance with a localization preference is based, invarious embodiments, on the rule set. A rule set, in such embodiments,may identify gameplay elements—such as cards, spots on the board,instructions, and so forth—that may require localization. These mayinclude, but are not necessarily limited to, the textual elements of agame. The rule set, for example, may identify cards used in a game, orspots on the game board, that include textual elements that can belocalized to accommodate the language needs of a particular player. Agame engine, in an embodiment, is made cognizant of the localizableelements of a game based on the rule set, and takes appropriate steps tocause those elements to be rendered, by a rendering service, using theappropriate localization preferences.

Localization services may also include translation services 854,facilitating communication between players speaking different languages.In embodiments, the translation services 854 includes spoken wordtranslation. In embodiments, the translation services 854 includetranslation of gameplay elements that are expressed in a localizedmanner. For example, in game which involves bartering or trading, termsoffered by one player in terms of French Francs might be expressed toanother player in terms of U.S. dollars. Likewise, while one playermight refer to a region of a board using a term expressed in onelanguage, another player might refer to the same region using a termfrom a different language. The translation services 854 may facilitategameplay adaptations based on these differences.

Localization may also include, in some embodiments, localization ofgameplay actions, such as bartering or trading, through visualinteractions. For example, a player can initiate a barter or trade inthe gameplay by creating a virtual list or manifest of goods or money toexchange, and both parties can then participate in the process bymodifying the virtual list. The game engine can cause the edits to berestricted to what is possible within the constraints of the game. Inembodiments, this aspect is enabled when the system determines thatvisual interaction may be useful due to differences in the languagerequirements of the players. Embodiments may also provide means ofallowing players, despite language differences, to perform gameplayactions such as forming pacts, alliances, or agreements, based onexchanges of funds or promises to perform actions in the future. Thesemay be made visually and/or textually as necessary. Moreover, the gameengine may enforce the terms of the pact, alliance, or agreement withinthe gameplay. For example, a move that would be illegal in the terms ofan agreement might be disallowed by the game engine.

In addition to localization, another way in which gameplay may beadapted, for example by using the system depicted in FIG. 1, is byfurther personalizing the gameplay using player level customization.FIG. 9 illustrates an example of an embodiment of an augmented realityenhanced gameplay system incorporating player level customization, inaccordance with an embodiment.

Here, player level customization refers to adaptations to the gameplaythat are designed to adapt to differences in player's skill level. Toillustrate, assume for the purposes of the example 900 that player “A”might be of relatively low skill in the game being played, or mightsimply prefer a more relaxed playing experience. Meanwhile, player “B”might be a more advanced player or might desire a more intense playingexperience. Information about these preferences might be stored by thesystem, as depicted by the skill settings 920, 922 elements of FIG. 9.

The system may therefore, in accordance with the respective skillsettings 920, 922, adjust the gameplay to adapt to these respectivedifferences. For example, in an embodiment, the AR Device A 902 a ofplayer “A” renders a display of gameplay having a relatively lowcomplexity compared to the display 902 b rendered by the AR Device B 904of player “B.” This is the case even though the players are observing,through their respective AR devices, the same play surface 906.

With respect to FIG. 1, the adjustments to gameplay depicted by FIG. 9may be implemented, at least in part, by the actions of the game engineservice 122 and the personalization service 134. For example, thepersonalization service 134 may identify desired types and amounts ofadaptations, and drive the game engine service 122 to apply thosechanges to the gameplay.

In an embodiment, the personalization service 134 instructs the gameengine service 122 to incorporate additional gameplay elements thatplayer “B” must contend with, compared to player “A.” This has theeffect of levelling the amount of skill required for player “B” to winthe game, relative to player “A.” The additional gameplay elementsmight, for example, include additional non-player characters opposingthe actions of the more advanced player, additional terrain obstacles,additional game pieces attributed to player “A” but controlled by thesystem, and so forth.

Other adaptations may include additional rule complexity. For example,player “B” might have to contend with fog-of-war rules, advanced unitmanagement rules, and so forth, which are not applied to player “A,” orare automated on behalf of player “A.”

FIG. 10 illustrates further aspects of gameplay enhanced by player levelcustomization, in accordance with an embodiment. In the example 1000 ofFIG. 10, player “A” is assumed, for the purposes of the example, to be anovice student of the game, whereas player “B” is assumed to be anadvanced player or teacher of the game. Each player views theAR-Enhanced game board 1002 from their own perspective, as generated bythe respective AR Devices 1004, 1006.

The gameplay, as produced by the system 100 depicted in FIG. 1 andrendered by the AR Device A 1004 of player “A,” is adjusted tofacilitate the student's learning of the game.

In an embodiment, the gameplay for player “A” is adjusted, by the system100 and AR Device A 1004, to include rules assistance 1010. For example,the AR Device A 1004 may render graphics showing allowable moves orhints about rules which might be applicable to the player's currentsituation. If the player attempts to make a move which is against therules, the system might provide an explanation of why the rule is beingdisallowed. The AR Device A 1004 can render these aspects based on dataand processing of the game engine service 122, rendering service 124,and personalization service 134.

In an embodiment, the gameplay for player “A” is adjusted, by the system100 and AR Device A 1004, to include strategy and tactics insight 1012.This can include, for example, displaying suggested moves, highlight theeffects of a move proposed by the player, and so forth. The AR Device A1004 can render these suggestions based on data and processing of thegame engine service 122, rendering service 124, and personalizationservice 134.

In an embodiment, the gameplay experience for player “A” is adjusted, bythe system 100 and AR Device A 1004, to include assistance from others1014. Here, assistance from others refers to hints or othercommunications that originates from other players, or other sources.

In an embodiment, assistance from others 1014 includes insight providedfrom player “B,” delivered through the system 100 to the AR Device A1004.

In an embodiment, assistance from others 1014 includes insight providedfrom a game streaming service. The assistance might, for example,include commentary from those observing the game in real time. In anembodiment, the system 100 applies machine learning algorithms toidentify comments made by players in similar game situations, or inresponse to similar moves. The AR Device A 1004 can render these aspectsbased on data and processing of the game engine service 122, renderingservice 124, and personalization service 134.

In various embodiments, the gameplay, as produced by the system 100depicted in FIG. 1 and rendered by the AR Device B 1006 of player “B,”is adjusted to facilitate player “B's” role as a teacher of the game.

In an embodiment, the gameplay experience of “player B” is adjusted bythe system 100 and AR Device B 1006 by the inclusion of elements relatedto advanced strategy insight 1020. Whereas the more junior player mightreceive comparatively simply tips regarding strategy and tactics, themore advanced player B might receive more advanced tips. These mayinclude insights which may facilitate the teacher role. For example, theAR Device B 1006 might render hints or suggestions which relate to thelong term implications of a proposed move by player A or player B. In anembodiment, the system 100 (particularly the game engine) might identifymoves which might be considered “instructive” because they wouldintroduce situations in the game that the student would benefit fromexperiencing.

In an embodiment, the gameplay experience of “player B” is adjusted bythe system 100 and AR Device B 106 by the inclusion of elements relatedto providing teacher insight 1022. This might, for example, includeinformation about moves the student considered but rejected, informationabout the skill level of the student, and so forth.

In an embodiment, the operations, choices, or decisions that areavailable to a player may depend on the player's absolute or relativeskill level. This can comprise presenting fair substitutions of options,which may be put in play automatically by the game engine. For example,in an augmented game of chess, a novice player might be provided with anarmy of chess pieces in which the more complex pieces are omitted, ortheir behavior simplified. The substitutions may be made in a mannerthat are determined by the game engine to be fair. For example, theomitted pieces might be replaced with additional pieces, such asadditional pawns or an additional queen. In another example, thecomplexity of cockpit in a flight simulator is reduced for noviceplayers, and increased for advanced players.

In an embodiment, the gameplay experience of “player B” is adjusted bythe system 100 and AR Device B 106 by the inclusion of elements andfeatures related to assistance generation 1024. This might include, forexample, supporting gesture-based input to trigger the provision of ahint to the student, when it is apparent to the student or system thatthe student is struggling to make a suitable game decision. It mightalso include support for providing gameplay tips generated by thesystem, of which the teacher might approve or disapprove of sending tothe student.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example process for enhancing physical gameplayby augmented reality localization and customization, in accordance withan embodiment. Some or all of the process 1100, or any other processesdescribed, or variations and/or combinations of those processes, may beperformed under the control of one or more computer systems configuredwith executable instructions and/or other data, and may be implementedas executable instructions executing collectively on one or moreprocessors. The executable instructions and/or other data may be storedon a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a computerprogram persistently stored on magnetic, optical, or flash media).

For example, some or all of process 1100 may be performed by anysuitable system, including but not limited to augmented reality devicescomprising a processor and a non-transitory memory on which instructionsexecutable by the processor are stored. The augmented reality system mayfurther comprise components such as those depicted in FIG. 1. Theprocess 1100 includes a series of operations wherein an augmentedreality device provides localized and personalized gameplay to eachparticipant in an augmented reality enhanced game.

At 1102, the system 100 identifies the players. Player identificationmay be performed by the object player recognition service 120, based onone or more input factors such as identifying characteristics of theplayer's AR device, facial recognition of the player, voiceidentification, and so forth. The may be applied in combination.

At 1104, the system 100 obtains per-player localization data. This maybe performed by retrieving information stored by the localizationservice 136 and/or personalization service 134, and index by theplayer's identity. In some embodiments, geographic information (such asthe current location of the player, obtained via global-positioningfeatures of an AR device) may also be used to retrieve an appropriateset of localization data.

At 1106, the system 100 obtains personalization data, such as per-playerskill assessments, that can then be used by the system 100 to drivegameplay adjustments. These can be obtained by using the identity of aplayer, as obtained at 1102, to retrieve an appropriate information setvia the personalization service 134.

At 1108, the system adjusts or loads various game assets to supportlocalization in augmented reality. For example, the system mightdetermine the locale(s) to which the system needs to adjust, and loadgame assets (such as maps, textures, fonts, textual resources,translation services, and so forth) that might be needed. Note that insome cases, multiple sets of such assets may be needed, in order toprovide individualized localization. This operation may involve therendering service 124, as it relies on assets to perform graphicalrendering, and the game engine service 122, as it relies on rule setsand other assets to drive gameplay.

At 1110, the system adjusts or loads various game assets to support gamepersonalization in augmented reality. For example, additional rulesetsmight be loaded, graphical elements corresponding to additionalnon-player characters or obstacles might be loaded, and so on. Thisoperation may involve the rendering service 124, as it relies on assetsto perform graphical rendering, and the game engine service 122, as itrelies on rule sets and other assets to drive gameplay.

At 1112, the system uses the game engine to drive gameplay thatincorporates adjustments for localization and personalization.

FIG. 12 illustrates aspects of an example environment 1200 forimplementing aspects in accordance with various embodiments. As will beappreciated, although a web-based environment is used for purposes ofexplanation, different environments may be used, as appropriate, toimplement various embodiments. The environment includes an electronicclient device 1202, which can include any appropriate device operable tosend and/or receive requests, messages, or information over anappropriate network 1204 and convey information back to a user of thedevice. Examples of such client devices include personal computers, cellphones, handheld messaging devices, laptop computers, tablet computers,set-top boxes, personal data assistants, embedded computer systems,electronic book readers, and the like.

The environment 1200 in one embodiment is a distributed and/or virtualcomputing environment utilizing several computer systems and componentsthat are interconnected via communication links, using one or morecomputer networks or direct connections. However, it will be appreciatedby those of ordinary skill in the art that such a system could operateequally well in a system having fewer or a greater number of componentsthan those illustrated in FIG. 12. Thus, the depiction in FIG. 12 shouldbe taken as being illustrative in nature and not limiting to the scopeof the disclosure.

The network 1204 can include any appropriate network, including anintranet, the Internet, a cellular network, a local area network, asatellite network or any other network, and/or combination thereof.Components used for such a system can depend at least in part upon thetype of network and/or environment selected. Many protocols andcomponents for communicating via such network 1204 are well known andwill not be discussed in detail. Communication over the network 1204 canbe enabled by wired or wireless connections and combinations thereof. Inan embodiment, the network 1204 includes the Internet and/or otherpublicly-addressable communications network, as the environment 1200includes one or more web servers 1206 for receiving requests and servingcontent in response thereto, although for other networks an alternativedevice serving a similar purpose could be used as would be apparent toone of ordinary skill in the art.

The illustrative environment 1200 includes one or more applicationservers 1208 and data storage 1210. It should be understood that therecan be several application servers, layers or other elements, processesor components, which may be chained or otherwise configured, which caninteract to perform tasks such as obtaining data from an appropriatedata store. Servers, as used, may be implemented in various ways, suchas hardware devices or virtual computer systems. In some contexts,“servers” may refer to a programming module being executed on a computersystem. As used, unless otherwise stated or clear from context, the term“data store” or “data storage” refers to any device or combination ofdevices capable of storing, accessing, and retrieving data, which mayinclude any combination and number of data servers, databases, datastorage devices, and data storage media, in any standard, distributed,virtual, or clustered environment.

The one or more application servers 1208 can include any appropriatehardware, software and firmware for integrating with the data storage1210 as needed to execute aspects of one or more applications for theelectronic client device 1202, handling some or all of the data accessand business logic for an application. The one or more applicationservers 1208 may provide access control services in cooperation with thedata storage 1210 and is able to generate content including, text,graphics, audio, video, and/or other content usable to be provided tothe user, which may be served to the user by the one or more web servers1206 in the form of HyperText Markup Language (HTML), Extensible MarkupLanguage (XML), JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheets (CS S), JavaScriptObject Notation (JSON), and/or another appropriate client-sidestructured language. Content transferred to the electronic client device1202 may be processed by the electronic client device 1202 to providethe content in one or more forms including forms that are perceptible tothe user audibly, visually, and/or through other senses. The handling ofall requests and responses, as well as the delivery of content betweenthe electronic client device 1202 and the one or more applicationservers 1208, can be handled by the one or more web servers 1206 usingPHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP), Python, Ruby, Perl, Java, HTML, XML,JSON, and/or another appropriate server-side structured language in thisexample. Further, operations described as being performed by a singledevice may, unless otherwise clear from context, be performedcollectively by multiple devices, which may form a distributed and/orvirtual system.

Each server typically will include an operating system that providesexecutable program instructions for the general administration andoperation of that server and typically will include a computer-readablestorage medium (e.g., a hard disk, random access memory, read onlymemory, etc.) storing instructions that, when executed (i.e., as aresult of being executed) by a processor of the server, allow the serverto perform its intended functions.

The data storage 1210 can include several separate data tables,databases, data documents, dynamic data storage schemes, and/or otherdata storage mechanisms and media for storing data relating to aparticular aspect of the present disclosure. For example, the datastorage 1210 may include mechanisms for storing various types of dataand user information, which can be used to serve content to theelectronic client device 1202. The data storage 1210 also is shown toinclude a mechanism for storing log data, such as application logs,system logs, access logs, and/or various other event logs, which can beused for reporting, analysis, or other purposes. It should be understoodthat there can be many other aspects that may need to be stored in thedata storage 1210, such as page image information and access rightsinformation, which can be stored in any of the above listed mechanismsas appropriate or in additional mechanisms in the data storage 1210. Thedata storage 1210 is operable, through logic associated therewith, toreceive instructions from the one or more application servers 1208 andobtain, update, or otherwise process data in response thereto. The oneor more application servers 1208 may provide static, dynamic, or acombination of static and dynamic data in response to the receivedinstructions. Dynamic data, such as data used in web logs (blogs),shopping applications, news services, and other applications may begenerated by server-side structured languages as described or may beprovided by a content management system (CMS) operating on, or under thecontrol of, the one or more application servers 1208.

In one embodiment, a user, through a device operated by the user, cansubmit a search request for a match to a particular search term. In thisembodiment, the data storage 1210 might access the user information toverify the identity of the user and obtain information about items ofthat type. The information then can be returned to the user, such as ina results listing on a web page that the user is able to view via abrowser on the electronic client device 1202. Information related to theparticular search term can be viewed in a dedicated page or window ofthe browser. It should be noted, however, that embodiments of thepresent disclosure are not necessarily limited to the context of webpages, but may be more generally applicable to processing requests ingeneral, where the requests are not necessarily requests for content.

The various embodiments further can be implemented in a wide variety ofoperating environments, which in some embodiments can include one ormore user computers, computing devices, or processing devices that canbe used to operate any of a number of applications. User or clientdevices can include any of a number of computers, such as desktop,laptop, or tablet computers running a standard operating system, as wellas cellular, wireless, and handheld devices running mobile software andcapable of supporting a number of networking and messaging protocols.Such a system also can include a number of workstations running any of avariety of commercially available operating systems and other knownapplications for purposes such as development and database management.These devices also can include other electronic devices, such as dummyterminals, thin-clients, gaming systems, and other devices capable ofcommunicating via the network 1204. These devices also can includevirtual devices such as virtual machines, hypervisors, and other virtualdevices capable of communicating via the network 1204.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure utilize the network 1204that would be familiar to those skilled in the art for supportingcommunications using any of a variety of commercially availableprotocols, such as Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol(TCP/IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), protocols operating in variouslayers of the Open System Interconnection (OSI) model, File TransferProtocol (FTP), Universal Plug and Play (UpnP), Network File System(NFS), and Common Internet File System (CIFS). The network 1204 can be,for example, a local area network, a wide-area network, a virtualprivate network, the Internet, an intranet, an extranet, a publicswitched telephone network, an infrared network, a wireless network, asatellite network, and any combination thereof. In some embodiments,connection-oriented protocols may be used to communicate between networkendpoints. Connection-oriented protocols (sometimes calledconnection-based protocols) are capable of transmitting data in anordered stream. Connection-oriented protocols can be reliable orunreliable. For example, the TCP protocol is a reliableconnection-oriented protocol. Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and FrameRelay are unreliable connection-oriented protocols. Connection-orientedprotocols are in contrast to packet-oriented protocols such as UDP thattransmit packets without a guaranteed ordering.

In embodiments utilizing the one or more web servers 1206, the one ormore web servers 1206 can run any of a variety of server or mid-tierapplications, including Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) servers, FTPservers, Common Gateway Interface (CGI) servers, data servers, Javaservers, Apache servers, and business application servers. The server(s)also may be capable of executing programs or scripts in response torequests from user devices, such as by executing one or more webapplications that may be implemented as one or more scripts or programswritten in any programming language, such as Java®, C, C # or C++, orany scripting language, such as Ruby, PHP, Perl, Python, or TCL, as wellas combinations thereof. The server(s) may also include databaseservers, including those commercially available from Oracle®,Microsoft®, Sybase®, and IBM® as well as open-source servers such asMySQL, Postgres, SQLite, MongoDB, and any other server capable ofstoring, retrieving, and accessing structured or unstructured data.Database servers may include table-based servers, document-basedservers, unstructured servers, relational servers, non-relationalservers, or combinations of these and/or other database servers.

The environment 1200 can include a variety of data stores and othermemory and storage media as discussed above. These can reside in avariety of locations, such as on a storage medium local to (and/orresident in) one or more of the computers or remote from any or all ofthe computers across the network 1204. In a particular set ofembodiments, the information may reside in a storage-area network (SAN)familiar to those skilled in the art. Similarly, any necessary files forperforming the functions attributed to the computers, servers or othernetwork devices may be stored locally and/or remotely, as appropriate.Where a system includes computerized devices, each such device caninclude hardware elements that may be electrically coupled via a bus,the elements including, for example, a central processing unit (CPU orprocessor), an input device (e.g., a mouse, keyboard, controller, touchscreen, or keypad), and an output device (e.g., a display device,printer, or speaker). Such a system may also include one or more storagedevices, such as disk drives, optical storage devices, and solid-statestorage devices such as random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory(ROM), as well as removable media devices, memory cards, flash cards,etc.

Such devices also can include a computer-readable storage media reader,a communications device (e.g., a modem, a network card (wireless orwired), an infrared communication device, etc.), and working memory asdescribed above. The computer-readable storage media reader can beconnected with, or configured to receive, a computer-readable storagemedium, representing remote, local, fixed, and/or removable storagedevices as well as storage media for temporarily and/or more permanentlycontaining, storing, transmitting, and retrieving computer-readableinformation. The system and various devices also typically will includea number of software applications, modules, services, or other elementslocated within a working memory device, including an operating systemand application programs, such as a client application or web browser.In addition, customized hardware might also be used and/or particularelements might be implemented in hardware, software (including portablesoftware, such as applets), or both. Further, connection to othercomputing devices such as network input/output devices may be employed.

Storage media and computer readable media for containing code, orportions of code, can include any appropriate media known or used in theart, including storage media and communication media, such as, volatileand non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in anymethod or technology for storage and/or transmission of information suchas computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, orother data, including RAM, ROM, Electrically Erasable ProgrammableRead-Only Memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology,Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), orother optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium whichcan be used to store the desired information and which can be accessedby the system device. Based on the disclosure and teachings provided, aperson of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate other ways and/ormethods to implement the various embodiments.

The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense. However, it will beevident that various modifications and changes may be made thereuntowithout departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention asset forth in the claims. Other variations are within the spirit of thepresent disclosure. Thus, while the disclosed techniques are susceptibleto various modifications and alternative constructions, certainillustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have beendescribed above in detail. It should be understood, however, that thereis no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or formsdisclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover allmodifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appendedclaims.

The use of the terms “a,” “an,” “the,” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the disclosed embodiments (especially in thecontext of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both thesingular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated or clearlycontradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,”and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning“including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term“connected,” where unmodified and referring to physical connections, isto be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, orjoined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation ofranges of values are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method ofreferring individually to each separate value falling within the range,unless otherwise indicated and each separate value is incorporated intothe specification as if it were individually recited. The use of theterm “set” (e.g., “a set of items”) or “subset” unless otherwise notedor contradicted by context, is to be construed as a nonempty collectioncomprising one or more members. Further, unless otherwise noted orcontradicted by context, the term “subset” of a corresponding set doesnot necessarily denote a proper subset of the corresponding set, but thesubset and the corresponding set may be equal.

Conjunctive language, such as phrases of the form “at least one of A, B,and C,” or “at least one of A, B and C,” is understood with the contextas used in general to present that an item, term, etc., may be either Aor B or C, or any nonempty subset of the set of A and B and C, unlessspecifically stated otherwise or otherwise clearly contradicted bycontext. For instance, in the illustrative example of a set having threemembers, the conjunctive phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” and “atleast one of A, B and C” refer to any of the following sets: {A}, {B},{C}, {A, B}, {A, C}, {B, C}, {A, B, C}. Thus, such conjunctive languageis not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require atleast one of A, at least one of B and at least one of C each to bepresent. In addition, unless otherwise noted or contradicted by context,the term “plurality” indicates a state of being plural (e.g., “aplurality of items” indicates multiple items). The number of items in aplurality is at least two, but can be more when so indicated eitherexplicitly or by context.

Operations of processes described can be performed in any suitable orderunless otherwise indicated or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.Processes described (or variations and/or combinations thereof) may beperformed under the control of one or more computer systems configuredwith executable instructions and may be implemented as code (e.g.,executable instructions, one or more computer programs or one or moreapplications) executing collectively on one or more processors, byhardware or combinations thereof. The code may be stored on acomputer-readable storage medium, for example, in the form of a computerprogram comprising instructions executable by one or more processors.The computer-readable storage medium may be non-transitory. In someembodiments, the code is stored on a set of one or more non-transitorycomputer-readable storage media having stored thereon executableinstructions that, when executed (i.e., as a result of being executed)by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computersystem to perform operations described herein. The set of non-transitorycomputer-readable storage media may comprise multiple non-transitorycomputer-readable storage media and one or more of individualnon-transitory storage media of the multiple non-transitorycomputer-readable storage media may lack all of the code while themultiple non-transitory computer-readable storage media collectivelystore all of the code. Further, in some embodiments, the executableinstructions are executed such that different instructions are executedby different processors. As an illustrative example, a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium may store instructions. A main CPU mayexecute some of the instructions and a graphics processor unit mayexecute other of the instructions. Generally, different components of acomputer system may have separate processors and different processorsmay execute different subsets of the instructions.

Accordingly, in some embodiments, computer systems are configured toimplement one or more services that singly or collectively performoperations of processes described herein. Such computer systems may, forinstance, be configured with applicable hardware and/or software thatenable the performance of the operations. Further, computer systems thatimplement various embodiments of the present disclosure may, in someembodiments, be single devices and, in other embodiments, be distributedcomputer systems comprising multiple devices that operate differentlysuch that the distributed computer system performs the operationsdescribed and such that a single device may not perform all operations.

The use of any examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”)provided, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of theinvention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the inventionunless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should beconstrued as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to thepractice of the invention.

Embodiments of this disclosure are described, including the best modeknown to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations ofthose embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in theart upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilledartisans to employ such variations as appropriate and the inventorsintend for embodiments of the present disclosure to be practicedotherwise than as specifically described. Accordingly, the scope of thepresent disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of thesubject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted byapplicable law. Moreover, although above-described elements may bedescribed in the context of certain embodiments of the specification,unless stated otherwise or otherwise clear from context, these elementsare not mutually exclusive to only those embodiments in which they aredescribed; any combination of the above-described elements in allpossible variations thereof is encompassed by the scope of the presentdisclosure unless otherwise indicated or otherwise clearly contradictedby context.

All references, including publications, patent applications, andpatents, cited are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extentas if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to beincorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system, comprising: at least one processor; anda memory comprising executable instructions that, in response toexecution by the at least one processor, cause the system to at least:identify a characteristic of a physical object located on a physicalsurface; obtain information indicative of a rule set and game statebased at least in part on the characteristic; initialize a game engine,based at least in part on the game state; and render augmented realitygameplay incorporating the physical surface, based at least in part onoutput of the game engine.
 2. The system of claim 1, the memorycomprising further executable instructions that, in response toexecution by the at least one processor, cause the system to at least:identify a prospective change to the game state based at least in parton an observation of an object the physical surface; validate theprospective change to the game state based at least in part on the ruleset; update the game state based at least in part on the prospectivechange; and render the augmented reality gameplay in accordance with theupdated game state.
 3. The system of claim 1, the memory comprisingfurther executable instructions that, in response to execution by the atleast one processor, cause the system to at least: render the physicalobject, in the augmented reality gameplay, as a game element.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, the memory comprising further executable instructionsthat, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause thesystem to at least: determine, based at least in part on the rule set,to localize a game element; and render the augmented reality gameplay toincorporate the localized game element, in accordance with alocalization preference of a first user.
 5. The system of claim 1, thememory comprising further executable instructions that, in response toexecution by the at least one processor, cause the system to at least:generate a replay of physical gameplay based at least in part on ahistory of changes to the game state.
 6. The system of claim 1, thememory comprising further executable instructions that, in response toexecution by the at least one processor, cause the system to at least:obtain information indicative of at least one of a skill level,preference, viewpoint, or game position associated with a first player;and render the augmented reality gameplay to provide, to the firstplayer, at least one of game elements, information, or hints notprovided to a second player.
 7. A computer-implemented method,comprising: identifying a characteristic of a physical object located ona physical surface; obtaining information indicative of a rule set and afirst game state based at least in part on the characteristic;initializing a game engine, based at least in part on the rule set andgame state; and rendering an augmented reality display incorporating thephysical object and the physical surface, based at least in part on asecond game state generated by the game engine.
 8. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the characteristic ofthe physical object is usable to obtain an identifier of the rule set.9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein thecharacteristic of the physical object is usable to obtain informationindicative of the first game state.
 10. The computer-implemented methodof claim 7, further comprising: identifying a prospective change to thegame state based at least in part on an observation of an object thephysical surface; validating the prospective change to the game statebased at least in part on the rule set; and updating the game statebased at least in part on the prospective change.
 11. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the game state comprisesat least one of player identity, player skill level, localizationpreferences, or game customization preferences.
 12. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising: rendering agame piece in the augmented reality display by overlaying the game pieceon the physical object.
 13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7,further comprising: rendering the augmented reality gameplay to include,for a first player, at least one of a game element, game information, orgame hint not provided to a second player.
 14. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 7, wherein the physical object, in the augmented realitydisplay, is rendered in accordance with a localization preference of thefirst player and based at least in part on the rule set.
 15. Anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereonexecutable instructions that, in response to being executed by one ormore processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to atleast: determine a characteristic of a physical object located on aphysical surface; obtain information indicative of a rule set and afirst game state based at least in part on the characteristic;initialize a game engine, based at least in part on the rule set andgame state; and render augmented reality gameplay incorporating thephysical surface and the physical object, based at least in part on asecond game state generated by the game engine.
 16. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 15, having stored thereonfurther executable instructions that, in response to being executed byone or more processors, cause the computing device to at least: identifya prospective change to the game state based at least in part on anobservation of the physical surface; validate the prospective change tothe game state based at least in part on the rule set; and update thegame state based at least in part on the prospective change.
 17. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, havingstored thereon further executable instructions that, in response tobeing executed by one or more processors, cause the computing device toat least: render, in augmented reality, a graphical element indicativeof repositioning the physical object on the physical surface.
 18. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein thephysical object is rendered, in augmented reality, as a game piece. 19.The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, havingstored thereon further executable instructions that, in response tobeing executed by one or more processors, cause the computing device toat least: generate a first augmented reality display associated with afirst player; and generate a second augmented reality display associatedwith a second player, wherein elements are included in the secondaugmented reality display but not the first augmented reality display,based at least in part on information indicative of at least one of askill level, viewpoint, or preference of at least one of the first andsecond players.
 20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumof claim 15, wherein elements of the augmented reality gameplay arelocalized based at least in part on a preference of a player.